Day 1 China

I am now at the Radission in Hangzhou. Below are some ruminations on the trip so far:

1. I had the opportunity to speak with two senior college students from China for aobut two hours today. In terms of mindset, students in China seem very similar to the USA. One thing I thought was interesting is that about 10% students are handpicked by their teachers and advisors to be part of the Communist party. Angela, the student, I spoke with said that it was an honor and that some of the key beliefs (roughly) are:
   • Love for one's country
     
   • Helping others
     
   • No belief in religion
2. At one point she asked me what happens in the USA when everybody votes for one person. This showed me that we're coming from completely different frameworks regarding politics. I want to learn more.
3. Angela asked me which country I thought was more stable, India or China. She was very surprised that I said, India.
   
4. I've met a few Americans that live in Shanghai and help companies move here. Seems like they're doing very well as many Americans see opportunity, but don't know anything about China.
   
5. I heard today that China's middle class is about 10% of its populaition. This means that an astound percentage are from a lower class. What does it mean to be lower class in China? I know that I'm going to really, really enjoy my stay here. However, I know that going from 5-star hotel to 5-star hotel isn't going to give me a real view of China.
   
6. Talking with the CEOs from CEO Clubs is a lot of fun, and I'm learning a lot!! Many of these people started companies when they were my age, so it's interesting to see the trajectory their careers took.